Mike's Moment
by Wayne Wright
Summary: Mike Newton has loved Bella in secret for years. Now the time has come for him to let it out. This is just a little doodle, nothing too serious. Please, no flames, though constructive criticism is always welcome!


Just a little drabble that popped into my head while driving. I know that it doesn't stick with the timeline from the books, and that the characters probably don't act exactly the way Stephenie would have portrayed them.

That's because I'm not nearly as good as her.

Inspired by "Congratulations" by Blue October.

For tradition's sake: I don't own the lyrics or characters used henceforth.

I stood awkwardly on the edge of the dance floor—dancing was never really one of my strong suits. It was fun, sure, but when I'm surrounded by people who are good at something, I try not to make a fool of myself. Although that's not always true.

Bella has always been the exception to that rule.

There she was, at the center of the dance floor. And rightly so, it's her wedding, after all. The song ended, and she and Edward parted ways. He moved to join his picture-perfect family and shake hands. Bella moved across the dance floor and took a seat along the side of the dance floor.

Forgive me, I seem to have gotten ahead of myself.

My name is Mike Newton. I live in a small town called Forks, in Washington. It's almost always cloudy, but I've gotten used to it. I used to be that guy. Mr. Popularity. I'll admit that I used to be exactly what people thought: they saw a cute guy with messy blonde hair and pretty blue eyes, and that's all there was to it.

Until Bella moved to town.

Everything changed that day. I fell for her hard. Whenever I was around her, my mind would just blank, and I came out sounding like a jerk. In fact, I was kind of a jerk. I know it now, but isn't hindsight always 20/20? There's nothing in this world that I'd like more than to be able to go back in time. Do things differently. I'm not saying I could have won Bella. Honestly, I think that she and Edward were meant for each other from birth. But I could have done better. It took years for Bella to warm up to me. I mellowed out after high school, and I think she liked that Mike better. I can't say I blame her. I could never have been her lover, but I was happy because she thought I was her friend.

She was my best friend.

Back to the wedding, I suppose. I crossed the dance floor, deftly dodging the dancing couples, moving to the beat of some popular song. I wasn't familiar with it. Bella was watching the dancers with mild interest; I smiled, imagining that she was half-hoping one of them would trip and fall, and make her feel better about her lack of dancing skills. A small smile played across her lips, and my heart skipped a beat. I dropped into the chair next to her.

"Is that seat taken?"

"Mike!" She said, hugging me. "I thought you hadn't come."

"Wouldn't miss it, Bell. Congratulations."

"Thank you…"

Ever since we started becoming better friends, I had wanted to confess my thoughts to her. I always felt dishonest, like I was lying to her every time she laid eyes on me. Then, it felt like something inside me gave. I couldn't hold it in. "I… would you like to take a walk with me?"

"Sure thing, let me just let Edward know what's up." She rose and crossed the dance floor. I smiled widely when a dancer bumped into her and nearly sent her sprawling. Her natural… grace was only accentuated by the flowing white dress she wore. She tapped Edward on the shoulder, and he turned to look at her. He smiled, and kissed her. A jealous barb pricked at the back of my mind, but I shut it out. They exchanged words, and Edward glanced in my direction. There was a world of warning in his topaz eyes. Bella looked in my direction, held up one finger, and darted into a bathroom.

I waited, my heart growing quicker.

She emerged a moment later, dressed in fashionable blue jeans and a midnight blue top. She crossed the floor again, looking much more at home off of the high heels. I stood up as she approached me and self-consciously brushed the lines out of my suit pants. We walked outside, through a garden, and onto a bridge spanning a stream.

"Edward's parents really went all out, huh?" I said, grinning awkwardly.

"Despite my protests," Bella laughed in return.

There was silence for a moment. I cleared my throat. "My mind… it kinda goes fast… but… I'll try to slow it down for you."

"Mike?" she said, her eyes questioning. "What's this all about?"

I turned to look out over the stream. "Well… I… that is to say…" I tried to work the uncomfortable edge out of my voice. "I want to give you something I…" my voice cracked. "I've been wanting to give to you for years."

"Mike…" she said, her voice ringing with sadness. "Please, don't…"

"My heart…"

I turned back to face her, and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"How could you do this to me?" she cried. "I just got married, Mike. To the man I love more than anything else in the whole world. And you have to show up and tell me that you're still not over some high school crush?" She fell against me, pounding her fists against my chest. I didn't budge.

"I came to see the light of my best friend…" I murmured, staring into space over her shoulder. "You seemed as happy as you've ever been." I took a deep breath, scenting the hints of freesia in her hair. "I know my timing is horrible. I… I honestly didn't mean to come out like this. It's just… my chance of being open was broken, and now you're Mrs. Him."

"Please don't sound so bitter," Bella pleaded, looking up at me. "This is my wedding day… It's supposed to be the happiest day of my life." She made a small choking sound. "You're my best friend, Mike… I… I wanted you to make a speech after everything was over…"

I tried not to let my surprise show. "I… my words… they don't come out right. But I'll try to say I'm happy for you. And then… I think I'm gonna take that drive."

"Does it have to be this way?" she pleaded. "Mike… I never loved you the way you loved me. You and I both know I never will. It's not that you're not a great guy, Mike, it's just… I'm so in love with Edward, the idea of being with anyone else is so alien."

"Yeah… I know… but… I can't change this. I can never take it back… but… I know I can never change your mind." She threw her arms around me, and I held her tightly to my chest. Her tears soaked into my shirt, and I felt my own eyes begin to burn. Without thinking, I buried my head in her hair and cried. We stood there for what felt like ages, holding one another. I vented years of frustration, denial, and sorrow. I think that she was crying for me.

After a long moment, our tears dried.

"Let's get you back to your husband," I said, giving her a sad smile. She returned it. We went back inside, just as Edward's mother was calling people together.

"Bella asked if I would have a guest speak tonight," she began, and I felt my throat go tight. "She said that this young man had helped her more than he could know, and that she was incredibly thankful for him. She wanted to have him say a few words. Everyone, this is Mike Newton."

I swore in my head and adjusted my suit, straightening my tie and shifting it slightly to cover the bigger dark spots on my burgundy shirt. I sighed, and put on my best happy face. I walked up to the front of the room, right beside a table that housed the cake and many small glasses of champagne. I smiled and waved at people I recognized. I cleared my throat.

"Wow, I didn't see this coming at all." I picked up a glass of champagne off of the table behind me. I raised the glass and looked out at the gathered guests. "Here's to me not making a big fool of myself." I took a sip of champagne, and the guests chuckled.

From the back of the room, I heard Edward's brother Emmett shout, "Here here!"

I smiled. "I've known Bella ever since she moved to Forks. It seems like only yesterday, sometimes. Nothing makes me sadder than the fact that I didn't do a better job of actually getting to know her during our first couple years. I was too wrapped up in myself to notice, as Jessica Stanley will tell you." More laughter from the crowd, especially from Jess, who was seated a few rows back. She smiled wistfully at me, and then nodded for me to continue. I raised my glass to her. "And all of that goes double for Edward. I've come to know him through Bella, and I think he's a good man, and I know he'll make a great husband.

"It's no secret that I used to have feelings for Bella. My embarrassing antics in high school were probably everyone else's daily entertainment. As we got older and grew closer, my feelings for her changed." I cleared my throat again, trying to move past the lump that had grown. "I love Bella very much, but not in the way I once thought I did. Bella is my best friend. She means the world to me. And nothing… nothing makes me happier than seeing her happy. When I watched her take her vows, she was glowing so brightly I thought that the sun had finally come out." More laughter, and I could have sworn I heard sniffling. I looked out at the guests, and I thought I saw Angela Weber wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. "Edward… she's in your hands. I know that you'll take good care of her. I'm entrusting her to you. Keep my Bella safe." I drained the last of the champagne and put the glass on the table behind me. "Thank you, Edward. And thank you, Bella, for giving me a chance to speak my mind. And thank you all for lending me your ears. But this isn't about me, it's about our two lovebirds. Edward and Bella, everyone!" I waved my arm in their direction, and the guests broke into applause. Bella turned bright red and Edward chuckled softly.

I made my way towards the doors leading to the parking lot. In the hallway, I picked my coat off of a hanger and put it on, taking my time to button it up. As I reached for the door handle, I heard footsteps tapping the ground behind me. I turned around just in time to see Bella throwing herself into my arms. I hugged her tightly, and she returned the gesture. "Thank you, Mike."

"Thank you, Bella."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Away, for a while. Today has kind of made me realize that I'm not entirely sure who Mike Newton is. I'd like to find out."

Bella squeezed my tighter. "You'd better send me a postcard."

"I will, but you'll have to let go first." She released me, and I smiled at her, looking into her eyes.

"Goodbye, Bella."

"…Bye, Mike."


End file.
